Well, life hasn't turned out like I would've liked. For that matter no one probably would First fifteen years of my life have seriously been a living hell. When I was born I had slight irregular problem. I was born with a set of wings. You would think that all parents love their children, but not mine. Not even an hour after I was born, they handed me over to the national government and started claiming that I was a miscarriage. It sort of hurts to know that my own parents can't even accept me. The first memories of my life were probably younger than most people. It was probably when I was about 5 years old. At this age I didn't even have a name to call myself. Most memories that I can actually recall involve hiding in a small dark corner hoping the doctors would not find me, but they did. Every day it was the same process. The doctors would come in and say the biggest lie I had ever heard. They had this sedative that would knock me out and the first time they gave it to me they said it would not hurt. But it did, every day "You won't feel a thing" and I was out until late that night. They would just leave me there, all alone, scared and terrified of any little noise I heard. No one else ever came to see me. I guess they thought my wings were some kind of contagious disease. That was alright by me, less people the better. But one day, I was about 6 at the time, something different happened. Someone came to see me.
At first I thought it was some kind of joke or lie. I was mistaken when a man came in that I had never seen before. He wore all black clothing, even down to the eye patch covering one of his eyes. At the time though the only people that ever came into my room meant to harm me. So we just sat there in silence for the first week. He would just sit there and watch me for about an hour; I think he was waiting for me to start talking. Then the second week he would just talk to me. I never answered him or even gave any signs that I was even listening to him. Then, on the third week I started to listen to what he was saying. The next day he started to say the same thing as yesterday; probably to get me to talk, and it worked. He had started rambling about his past and how he got mixed up in the government.
"Wait, you already told me this part", I said in a small sheepish voice.
He looked down at me and just smiled for a bit. Then he said "Well, I guess I already have."
He told me that his name was Nick Furry and that he belonged to a secret government operation with a ridiculously long name.
"Wouldn't it be easier to just call it S.H.I.E.L.D?" I asked.
He laughed and said" I never thought about that. I'll have to look into that."
Just when I was about to ask him something else the doctors came in and told Nick that it was time for him to go. He looked slightly confused for a second; then turned to me and said "I guess I'll just have to come back tomorrow, won't I?" But as he left the room I had a horrible feeling, as the sedatives began to enter my blood stream, that I would never see him again. Well, never is too strong a word for this, but it does get the message across.
The next day I woke up and waited… and waited. But he did not return. That whole week I waited, but he never came. A couple of years passed. One day I was really bored. So I decided to look around my little room. As I was going through my sheets I found a small card between some of the sheets. I opened it and this is what it said:
Dear Emily,
Yes, I decided to give you a proper name. Most likely you haven't seen me in a while. I am not surprised. It was a matter of time before they kicked me out. I was even more surprised about how much time they let me see you. Just remember, you are not alone in this world. I am a very busy man, but I am trying to find a way to get you out of that hell hole you have called home for your life. I know what those "doctors" are doing to you and I will put a stop to it. Now that you are getting older they will now be as gentle. Whatever happens remember to always keep you head high and heart full.
Your friend,
Nick Furry.
I couldn't' believe it. He hadn't left me for dead. He was somewhere right now trying to find a way to free me! But above all that, I had a friend. A true friend, my first one ever. I quickly hid it again so no one would find it. Just in time though, just when I turned around they were there with the sedative already in my blood. So, when I finally woke up that night all I could do was think about the letter and how soon he would get me out. I didn't dare take the letter out from under my bed so the people would not take it away from me. That was the only thing that kept me going.
Every day for the next nine years was the same process, but with a giant twist they added in the middle. Each day I was put under for longer and I would spend less time awake in the day. At first it was alright and I could handle the change, but that was only at the beginning. Around the time I turned ten my wings were fully grown, but I was in horrible health. It just happened one day; I think they started a new experiment on me. Every day I grew weaker and weaker. I was barely able to walk around, for a while. Then, I couldn't even lift my head. When I was about eleven I couldn't even get myself out of bed. I swore that they had started testing me for days at a time now. I felt horrible; I just wanted to crawl up in a corner and just die all young and alone.
One day I somehow managed to build up enough strength to walk around. My wings felt like concrete and I could not flap them. As I walked around my room I was just trying to find something to either take me out of this life and to finally free me or something to give me enough hope to continue to live. Just as I was about to give up and lie down again I saw the corner of the letter Nick had left for me. I slipped my hand under the mattress and read the letter over and over again until I had practically memorized the letter. Somehow I managed to hide the letter, under my pillow now, before the doctors knocked me out again. When I woke up I was once again in my little grey room, but this time it was different. This time I actually had hope that someone would get me out of this mess I had no choice of falling into.
So, for the next couple of years of my life, at least until I was 15, I had to follow the crazy schedule day after day. No more big changes thankfully. When I was 15 everything changed in a matter of seconds. The day started out the same way as it had for the past 15 years. The day slowly crept by like it was building up to something. Then, just about the time the doctors would come in nothing happened. Well, what I mean is that no one came in. About an hour later still no change.
Then, just before the 2 hour mark the door opened, but it was not a doctor. Instead it was Nick Furry. For some reason he had a huge grin on his face. He didn't say a word, he just gestured towards me. He was holding the door open and I could not believe it. I was free, I could finally live my life. But I did not run, I didn't even try. I just turned to Nick and ran into his open arms. I don't know why, but I just started to cry. Nick seemed to understand though. He didn't tell me to be quiet or leave me alone. He just stood there with me crying into his coat.
After a while he led me out to a helicopter that was ready to take us away. But just about when we were ready to take off I remembered the letter under my pillow. I was going to yell to stop the copter, but somehow Nick knew what I had forgotten because at that moment he handed me the little letter and said "Don't worry, I have your back kid." I just smiled and thanked him quietly.
When we finally landed we seemed to be in the middle of nowhere. Nick explained to me that we were just picking up a couple of people. About 5 minutes later a family had come aboard; a women and man both in suits and a younger boy (looked to be a couple of years older than me) who was probably their son. Nick turned to me and said "These people have volunteered to take you into their home and raise you as their own. They work for S.H.I.E.L.D and you can come and visit every day. I will let them explain who they are." Before anyone else could get another word out a loud beeping started. "That must be the testing sites" said the older man. "Let's drop off the kids at base and head out" said the women right after. So, without another word I and the older boy were dropped off at some base and Nick explained that I would stay here until he came back.
